Improvement in hats



tititrd' rabes v strut @Mitra Letters 'Patent No', 111,178, 'dated January `24, 1871'.

IMPROVEMENT IN HATS.

The Schedule referred to these Letters 'Patent and making part of the same.

To whom it lmay concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES W. Corner, of Newark, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hats of which the following is a specification.

Specification..

foundation attached to an ornamental fabric, whosev edges 4project to furnish a means for securing the same to the hat-brim;

Figure 8, a lsectional view of a `'hat-brim showing the manner of applyingthe binding illustrated by fig. 7;

Figure 9, a similar view showing the docked binding of figs. 5 and 6, ,as applied;

Figure 10, a similar view showing the binding of fig. 3, as applied to the brim; and

`Figure 11,-a similar View showingthe binding of g. 4, as` applied to the brim.

Nature of the Invention.

My invention relates to hats which have a exible or unstiffened brim, and consists of a binding or edgecovering provided Vwith any suitable stiifening material which has the quality of being curved, shaped, or set, under the heat or pressure of the hatters7 iron, heated dies, steam, or atmospheric evaporation.

Felt or stuff hats are of two kinds, viz., stiff and soft. The first class of these hats is stiifened by a suitable sizing orstiffening material, which is so incorporated with the body as to set or stufen the same throughout its whole area. Such hats readily yield under treatment of the batters iron, and may be for-'med or-shaped on the block to suit the demands,` of fancy or fashion, andmay be shaped with more-or'less curl of` brim and curve or front and rear droop, while those of the second class, from their pliable yielding nature, being unstiifened, are capable of yielding in all directions, and are generally made with dat brims, which are curled but little, and leadily'lose their shape with wear and exposure.

It is desirable that the brims of low and highcrown hats shall be provided with the curl or overhang and boat form, or frontand rear dreop, common to beaver, silk, orhigh crown and other stiff-bodied hats. Heretoibrethis has been accomplished by stifjlening thc whole body, as is the foundation of silk hats,

whereby, like them, they become susceptible of' a changof form and shape. Also, by providing, in various ways, a wire-stii'ening 01' hoop in the periphery of the brim, the shape of which, however, cannot be altered except by changing the. dimension of the hoop, and then not materially. And lastly,y bymeans ofl-a strip of .fibrous or textile material stiffened by a suitable preparation, and applied to the outer surfaceedge of tliebrim', and there secured by turning the brim over it, or' by covering it in that position with the binding, as more fullydescribed in Letters Patent No. 108,884, to me, dated November 1, 1870, upon which my present invention is au improvement.

.In carrying out my invention I apply to a felt or stuff hat, or one composed 4Vof textile material,

which is soft and" pliable throughout its entire body,

or to one partially stiff'ened, a binding or edge-coverin g which in itself possesses the quality of being shaped or formed as are thebrims of sti hats, which binding isprepared as follows:

I take a strip, of suitable width, of felt, stuff, or any brous material, vclot-l1, or other texile material, or .long-fibered paper, and saturate its body, coat its surface onone or bothv sides, impregnate or. incorporate it or its libers or threadswith shellac or any preparation thereof, or any suitable stffening gum or material which will impart to it the quality of being. susceptible of a `change in vshape or position under the treatment of the batters iron, 'heated dies, steam, or atmospheric evaporation, and, when dry, apply it to the outer edge of the brim in the'form of a binding,

which binding may bc securedby sewing, or be made to .adhere by its own adhesi-vequality, or be attached k by any suitable-cement.

This binding may in turn be coated, either before or after its application to the hat, with any suitable colored flock or powder' or other composition, enamel, japan, or paint, or it may be covered with a cloth, silk, satin, leather, orfelt covering. It may also be enveloped within a covering of textile fabric before itsapplication as a binding, as shown in gs. 1,- 2, 3, 4, v10, and 11, which show the edges turned down and secured to the rear surface to form a neat finish when thus prepared.

l prefer to stitch this compound bindingto the hat- 'brim asordinary bindings are attached, as shown in fignr, though the same-may be so covered as kto expose most ofl the` inner`surface of its foundation, as shown in figs. 4 and 5, in which case the`v sttlening compound willfurnish a' sufficient adhesive quality andarea to se rc the same to the brim.

lVhen this binding is formed as shown in fig. 7, the projecting edges of the face or finishing material will form or furnish sucient fabric by which to' stretch the same to the brim, as sho wn in iig. 8.

The flocked binding 4is app lied in a similar manner.

I I design to prepare the different forms of this bindscribed binding for flexible hats, consisting of a. fabric stiilened with shellzic or equivalent material, :md cov ered with n-n independent o1' Ornamental fabric or finish, substantially its herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 26th day of December, 1870.

JAMES XV. COR-EY.

Witnesses JAMES H. STEWART, ABEL N. WATERS. 

